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Shaqiri ‘really enjoying’ Stoke and sure of better

Xherdan Shaqiri is “really enjoying” life at Stoke City and is confident he will soon score his first goal as he continues to adapt to English football.

Shaqiri has had something of an inauspicious start to life in the Premier League, failing to provide an assist since his debut and still waiting for his first goal after eight appearances.

The Switzerland star has been one of the Potters’ brightest attacking sparks in each of their last two games, however, and has promised his best is yet to come.

“Of course I can’t wait to get my first goal, I’m still waiting, but for me it’s important to work for the team first and after that we’ll see,” Shaqiri told The Sentinel.

“Game by game I feel better in the team and I think I will score soon.

“I think it takes any player time to adapt to the Premier League. It’s a different style than Germany or Italy so you have to come slowly into the game. In Italy you stay more behind the ball, you don’t press the ball. Here you have everything, you press, you must run, it’s a rush.

“I really like this football and I feel better each week.

“I still think this is going to be the perfect league for me. I see how the teams play and I’m really enjoying it. For me I think it’s the best league in the world – I’m very happy to be here to play in it every weekend.”

He said: “Jack’s still young, but everyone can see he’s very talented. He saved a lot of chances and he’s kept us in a few games.

“We expect him to make these saves now. If you want to be the best then you have to make saves like that and he wants to be the best. I think he really can be one of the best in time so he has to keep going like he’s playing now.

“I really like him as a player and a person. He’s a really good guy.”

On the game itself, Shaqiri added: “Everyone worked hard. It was an intensive game from both sides. Neither team had many good chances to score and in the end it was a good result.

“I think a 0-0 after playing 120 minutes against Chelsea in mid-week is ok. That game was very hard for us so I was really happy that we could keep running to the end at Newcastle.”